The state’s private sector drove the gains with a total of 4,200 jobs added in November.

“November’s strong job growth offset some declines in the third quarter returning us to the positive, though modest growth path we have seen throughout 2013,” said Andy Condon, director of the Labor Department’s research office. “A third straight month of unemployment rate declines is certainly good news, though these declines are still occurring on a shrinking labor force.”

Gains were posted in sectors including utilities, education and construction and mining, but losses were experienced by others including manufacturing, business services, and hospitality.

The previously announced national unemployment rate dipped to a five-year low of 7 percent in November.

The state’s jobless rate, which stood at 7.9 percent in October, had held steady for most of the year before the recent declines.

“While a decrease in the unemployment rate and the addition of more than 4,000 private sector jobs in a month is clearly a step in the right direction, we still have much work to do,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said.

As the gradual recovery from the economic downturn continues, state officials say Connecticut has now recovered slightly more than half of the 121,200 jobs that were lost during the recession between March 2008 and February 2010.